May 10, 2025
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Illinois Fallen Wall makes stop in Oswego Village Hall

Tribute honors Illinois military members killed in action since 9/11, will remain on display through June 6

By Eric Schelkopf
In partnership with Oswego Honors Veterans, the village of Oswego will host the Illinois Fallen Wall, a tribute honoring the memory of Illinois military service members who have been killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001. The wall will be on public display in the lobby of Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, through June 6.

In partnership with Oswego Honors Veterans, the village of Oswego will host the Illinois Fallen Wall, a tribute honoring the memory of Illinois military service members who have been killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001. The wall will be on public display in the lobby of Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, through June 6. (Eric Schelkopf)

After their son was killed in 2012 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Bob and Mary Patterson were looking for a way to honor not only their son, but also others who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Illinois Fallen Wall is a tribute honoring the memory of Illinois military service members who have been killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial, presented by the Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation, features the photos of every Illinois service member who gave their life in combat operations after 9/11.

The wall is on display in the lobby at Oswego Village Hall through June 6. The village of Oswego is hosting the Illinois Fallen Wall in partnership with Oswego Honors Veterans.

Bob Patterson, father of Chris Patterson, speaks during the May 9 opening ceremony of the Illinois Fallen Wall at Oswego Village Hall. Sitting behind him are Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman, left, and Kris Kearns, right, a Marine Corps veteran and chairman of Oswego Honors Veterans.

Bob Patterson, father of Chris Patterson, speaks during the May 9 opening ceremony of the Illinois Fallen Wall at Oswego Village Hall. Sitting behind him are Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman, left, and Kris Kearns, right, a Marine veteran and chairman of Oswego Honors Veterans. (Eric Schelkopf)

“It’s not just names, it’s faces,” Bob Patterson said during the May 9 opening ceremony at Oswego Village Hall. “Look at them and maybe they’re going to look back at you...If I can reach one person to honor and remember somebody that gave their all, then the wall has done it’s job.”

Chris Patterson, 20, a North Aurora resident, was a member of the Indiana National Guard and served as a combat engineer.

He was killed along with three other soldiers in his unit in January 2012 while conducting combat route clearance operations as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Patterson was a 2009 West Aurora High School graduate.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Denise Williams, mother of Army Private First Class Andrew Meari of Plainfield, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Nov. 1, 2010. He was 21.

Meari was her only child. She is a licensed professional therapist of clinical psychology who works with those experiencing trauma and grief.

Williams also serves as the president of the American Gold Star Mothers Department of Illinois.

“This memorial, these faces, are those who in this generation fought that fight for all of us,” she said. “They paid the price for our freedom.”

Williams urged people viewing the Illinois Fallen Wall to learn more about those pictured in the memorial.

“Take a moment, look them up,” she said. “What town are they from? Where did they go to school? What sports or music or art did they love? Then, tell someone, ‘I saw the face of a young soldier who gave his life for this country, a soldier who has a story. He was from Plainfield, or Aurora or Morris or Champaign, right here in Illinois.’ ”

Traughber Jr. High School Choir performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the May 9 opening ceremony of the Illinois Fallen Wall, which will be on display at Oswego Village Hall through June 6.

Traughber Jr. High School Choir performs "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the May 9 opening ceremony of the Illinois Fallen Wall, which will be on display at Oswego Village Hall through June 6. (Eric Schelkopf)

The wall will be open to the public during Village Hall business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Special Memorial Day weekend hours also will be observed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 24, 25 and 26, during which time the wall will be under volunteer guard.

The closing ceremony for the Illinois Fallen Wall will take place at 10:30 a.m. June 6 at Village Hall.

The Oswego Honors Veterans group is comprised of representatives from the village of Oswego, Oswego Fire Protection District, Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club, American Legion Post 675 and Fox Valley Marines Detachment 1233.

The group previously helped organize the events that brought the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and the Middle East Conflicts Wall of Honor to Oswego in 2017 and 2021, respectively.